News

Let go by Los Angeles

Ficken was waived by the Rams on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Analysis: Ficken missed two of three field-goal attempts with the Rams while filling in for Greg Zuerlein (groin) and will be replaced by Cairo Santos. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, Ficken will become an unrestricted free agent.

Published: Tue, Oct 2 at 1:21pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Misses short field goal

Ficken connected on one of his two field-goal attempts and five extra-point kicks during Thursday's 38-31 win over Minnesota. His missed field goal was from just 28 yards.

Analysis: The 25-year-old kicker has only converted one of his three field-goal attempts the past two games. While Greg Zuerlein's (groin) timeline is still up in the air, Ficken is probably on thin ice, if he even holds onto the job for next week's game against the Seahawks.

Published: Fri, Sep 28 at 6:42pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Misses lone field-goal attempt

Ficken connected on five extra-point kicks but failed to hit a 46-yard field goal at the end of the second quarter during Sunday's 35-23 win over the Chargers.

Analysis: While Ficken is definitely positioned to succeed and provide fleeting fantasy value while Greg Zuerlein (groin) is out of action, the interim kicker will need to convert his opportunities. Head coach Sean McVay is aggressive, so unless Ficken earns his coach's trust, the Rams could opt to push the offensive envelope more often instead of attempting long kicks.

Published: Mon, Sep 24 at 3:55am by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Signs with Rams

Ficken signed with the Rams on Monday, Clarence Dennis of the Rams' official site reports.

Analysis: Ficken will fill in while regular starter Greg Zuerlein tends to a groin injury. The 25-year-old filled in for Zuerlein after the latter suffered a season-ending back injury late last season, hitting four of five attempts in three games. With Zuerlein expected to be out a few weeks, Ficken finds himself in an ideal scenario as the kicker for one of the most potent offenses in the NFL.

Published: Mon, Sep 17 at 5:49pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Expected to rejoin Rams

The Rams are expected to re-sign Ficken on Monday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: Ficken was released by the Rams at the end of training camp, but it appears he will rejoin the team and fill in for the injured Greg Zuerlein (groin). Zuerlein doesn't appear to be in line for a lengthy absence and hasn't officially been ruled out for the Rams' Week 3 matchup with the Chargers, but Ficken will nonetheless be worthy of consideration in most fantasy leagues while he's backed by an offense averaging 33.5 points per game through two weeks. Ficken previously kicked for the Rams in…read more

Published: Mon, Sep 17 at 7:29am by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Let go by Rams

The Rams waived Ficken on Friday, Gary Klein of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Analysis: Ficken rejoined the Rams in April after signing his exclusive rights tender but was unable to beat out incumbent kicker and long-time Ram Greg Zuerlein. Moving forward, Ficken's next opportunity may have to come via the tryout circuit, as it did last December.

Published: Sat, Sep 1 at 5:11pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Works second half Saturday

Ficken converted field goals of 35 and 32 yards in Saturday's 19-15 preseason win over Oakland.

Analysis: Ficken did all of the Rams' kickin' in the second half, which included two punts for a total of 68 yards. With Greg Zuerlein over the back injury that sidelined him last year and Johnny Hekker locked into the starting punter role, there likely won't be a roster spot for Ficken in Los Angeles once the games start to count. Zuerlein converted two of his three field-goal tries in the first half.

Published: Sat, Aug 18 at 4:18pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Ficken signed his exclusive rights tender from the Rams on Monday, Myles Simmons of the team's official site reports.

Analysis: When Greg Zuerlein was lost in December due to a back injury, Ficken beat out a number of established options to become the Rams' place kicker for the final two regular-season games and postseason. During his three-game run in LA, Ficken connected on four of five field-goal attempts and five of six extra-point tries, averaging 5.7 points per game. Coach Sean McVay said Monday that Zuerlein is progressing through his recovery from back surgery, per Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times.…read more

Published: Mon, Apr 16 at 1:36pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Ficken connected on both of his field-goal attempts and his lone extra-point kick during Saturday's 26-13 loss to Atlanta in the wild-card round.

Analysis: Ficken suited up for three games with the Rams and connected on four of five field-goal opportunities and five of six extra-point attempts. Greg Zuerlein was having a historic season before being placed on injured reserve with a back injury following Week 15, and with his contract running through the 2019 campaign, Ficken is unlikely to return to the Rams to start the 2018 season if Zuerlein is healthy.

Published: Tue, Jan 9 at 7:07am by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

Ficken missed a 36-yard field goal as well as one of his four extra-point tries in Sunday's 27-23 win over the Titans.

Analysis: Ficken's first career game didn't go as planned, as he managed just three points while misfiring on two occasions. While the Rams' high-powered offense figures to provide ample scoring opportunities, if Ficken can't get it together soon, they could deem him too risky to carry into the postseason.

Published: Tue, Dec 26 at 8:37am by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com

The Rams have signed Ficken, Myles Simmons of the team's official site reports.

Analysis: The move comes after the Rams placed Greg Zuerlein (back) on IR, with Ficken immediately finding himself on the fantasy radar, given that Zuerlein led all NFL kickers with 158 points in 14 games prior to Wednesday's surprising development. Of course, Zuerlein's huge campaign was only partially a product of the Rams' efficient offense, as his proficiency on long field goals -- 18 of 19 from 40-plus yards -- helped him compile some points that many kickers would've left behind.

Published: Wed, Dec 20 at 3:58pm by Rotowire.comMore news and analysis available atNFL.com